Congressman John Lewis uses the phrase “love in action” when speaking about the nonviolent revolution of the 1960s. When faced with systemic oppression, Congressman Lewis and fellow civil rights marchers led with love. Today, we are faced once again as a nation with divisive, harmful rhetoric and actions that threaten the values of civil liberties this country is founded upon. Yet, millions of Americans and people around the world are countering these actions by demonstrating “love in action”. At The Classroom Bookshelf, we believe that our classrooms should always be places fueled by hope, inclusivity, understanding, and most of all, love. We also believe that classrooms are spaces where all children should find connection and a sense of belonging. Books can help us get there. Books transmit values and let young people know they are not alone. Books are our ally if we want to promote hope and counter fear.

To support your work in fostering classroom conversations that build compassion and empathy and work toward activism, we have curated the following resources.

Katie is an associate professor of literacy at Manhattanville College. Her work focuses on children’s literature, literacy methods, and literacy leadership. Katie is the author of Story: Still the Heart of Literacy Learning and co-author of Literacy Leadership in Changing Schools. She is passionate about the power of stories to transform lives.

What is The Classroom Bookshelf?

Each Monday, The Classroom Bookshelf posts an entry on a recently published book for children or young adults. Each entry includes three sections: Book Review, Teaching Invitations, and Further Explorations. Our goal is to identify books that can be used in K-8 classrooms in a variety of ways.
We invite you to explore the many entries on this blog by either by browsing past entries (titles that intrigue you) using the archive navigation tool below or by using the SEARCH field in the right sidebar. You can search the entries by keyword, curriculum topic, genre, or author. Enjoy what you find!